At the top of today's standards, the Mamishaus (BE) cheese dairy is looking to the future

" It's a great source of pride to produce Le Gruyère AOP with local milk from the Parc naturel du Gantrisch "

Urs Nussbaum, master cheesemaker at Mamishaus

Located at the very edge of the Le Gruyère AOP production zone, the Mamihaus cheese dairy and its wooden facades blend harmoniously into the natural setting of the Gantrisch. The dairy, which has been in continuous operation since 1907 and was renovated in 1976, reached a turning point in its existence in the early 2010s: "What future could we have, given the collapse in Emmental sales and the dilapidated state of the facilities, which were operating under capacity?" recalls Urs Beyeler, President of the dairy company. A major project was needed to revitalise the region's dairy industry. The gamble paid off: in January 2022, after 8 months of renovation work, the Mamishaus cheese dairy unveiled its new look, following a top-to-bottom transformation. All that remained of the old facilities were a centrifuge and two milk vats...

Three cheese dairies for a new dairy cooperative

"In addition to maintaining the cheese dairy as a production site, we wanted to review the milk purchase price, which was clearly inadequate. By switching to the production of Le Gruyère AOP, we were able to increase it by 40%", explains Urs Beyeler. The number of accredited producers has also risen, from 14 to 24, thanks to gradual growth. This began with the merger of Mamishaus with the neighbouring Nöthenhaus cheese dairy in 2014. At the beginning of 2023, the Gambach cheese dairy also joined the Mamishaus dairy cooperative, where milk is delivered morning and evening, 7 days a week. Thanks to centralised production, between 22 and 30 wheels of Le Gruyère AOP are produced every day. In 2022, the dairy processed 3.2 million kilos of milk and produced 278,000 kilos of Le Gruyère AOP. The two master cheesemakers, Hans Mäder and Urs Nussbaum, along with five employees and an apprentice, are all very happy about this. "It's a great source of pride to produce Le Gruyère AOP with local milk from the ʻParc naturel du Gantrischʼ," says Urs Nussbaum.

An enthusiastic and united region

The Gruyère Interprofession's agreement to finance the work needed to produce Le Gruyère AOP fell through in 2018. "Between 2014 and 2019, we deducted 3.5 centimes from each kilo of milk delivered. This was to build up the capital needed for the planned investment of over 5 million," explains Urs Beyeler. In addition, each producer agreed to a one-off contribution of between CHF 2,000 and CHF 5,000, depending on their farm budget. Against this backdrop, the announced turnaround has boosted the morale of the troops: under the aegis of architect Fredy Ryser, renowned for creating this type of infrastructure, the teams from the various cheese dairies concerned and the milk producers have put in some 700 hours of work. The 3 men were unanimous in their praise for the collaboration with the Interprofession du Gruyère: "We understood each other very well, despite the differences in language and culture. The personal contacts and the quality of listening to each other took precedence over everything else", Urs Beyeler sums up. In the summer heat, the team prepares to receive the milk from the evening milking. When the story of the Mamishaus dairy cooperative is mentioned, everyone's faces are filled with joy. Hans Mäder concludes: "The conditions for milk suppliers are optimal, the infrastructure ideal and the existence of Mamishaus SA assured. What more could you want? After 40 years with the dairy, I can leave with peace of mind," he says with a smile.